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Monday, December 17, 2018

Has the Ayat, La Ikraha fid Deen (There is No Compulsion in Religion), been Abrogated?

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

14 December 2018

Allah Almighty says,

“There
is no compulsion at all in Din (Religion). Surely, the guidance has
become evidently distinguished from error. So he who rejects false gods
and believes in Allah has grasped such a firm handhold that will never
loosen. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (2:256)

This
is the basic Islamic principle upon which the idea of non-compulsion is
built, guaranteeing religious freedom for all non-Muslims. Islam, as
the Quranic verse says, has made its “guidance evidently distinguished
from error” and therefore it does not force the people to convert to
Islam. In other words, Islam invites the people to accept Islam
willingly, but it does not force them to do so. A number of Quranic
verses support this view. Some of them are as follows;

“And
if your Lord willed, all those who are in the earth – everyone of them –
would have accepted faith; so will you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace
and blessings be upon him) force the people until they become Muslims?” (The Quran -10:99)

“And
proclaim, “The Truth is from your Lord”; so whoever wills may accept
faith, and whoever wills may disbelieve – We have indeed prepared for
the wrongdoers [Zalimin] a fire the walls of which will surround them;
if they plead for water, their plea will be answered with water like
molten metal which shall scald their faces; what an evil drink it is;
and what an evil destination is hell!” (The Quran - 18:29)

These Aayaat
of the Quran make it quite clear that Almighty Allah’s will is not to
force anyone to accept His Religion [Islam], though He has liked Islam
for the people.

The Ayat 2:256 “There is No Compulsion in the Religion (Din)” Is not Abrogated

It
was the explanation of the Ayat 2:256 in support of the two other
verses mentioned above. Now the main theme of our subject is whether
this Ayat 2:256 is abrogated or not.

Some
scholars argue that this verse 2:256 was abrogated by those verses that
command Muslims to fight (9:5 and 9:73 etc). However this
interpretation is not chronologically coherent with either of the
narrated occasions of revelation (Shane Nuzul) for this verse. More
significantly, compulsion in Religion contradicts the idea of
responsibility before Allah Almighty (taklif), in which one is taken to
account for one’s actions in both this life and the Hereafter (Imam Razi
“Tafsir-e-Kabir”).

According
to the overwhelming majority of classical Muslim scholars
(Ulema-e-Jumhoor), this verse (2:256) is non-abrogated and was revealed
in the Madani period, when the Muslims had attained political ascendance
and were in a position of strength and not weakness. Sir Thomas Walker
Arnold (1913) and many modern scholars including the orientalists also
support the same view (See “Preaching of Islam: A History of the
Propagation of the Muslim Faith, p. 6.). There is a divine message in
this verse that Muslims cannot force another’s heart to believe. The
famous theologians belonging to different schools of thought, who
consider this verse (2:256) to be non-abrogated are Imam Jalaluddin
Suyuti (Al-Itqan Fi Ulum al-Quran vol. 2), Al-Nahhas (al-Nasikh wal
Mansukh fi al-Quran al-Karim), Al-Jassas (Ahkam al-Quran), Ibn Ashur
(al-Tahrir wat Tanwir), Al-Tabari (Jamiul Bayan An Tawil Al-Quran), Abi
Ubayd (Kitab Al-Nasikh Wal Mansukh), Makki bin Abi Talib (al-Idah li
nasikh al-Quran wa mansukh), Ibn Taymiyya (qaida mukhtasarah fi qitalil
kuffar), Ibn Qayyim (Ahkam Al-Dhimma) and many others.

Notably
a famous classical jurist belonging to Hambali school of thought, Ibn
Qudamah al-Maqdisi writes, (translation from Arabic) “It is not
permitted to force a non-Muslim to accept Islam. Such a person would not
even be considered a Muslim until it is confirmed that he accepted the
Islamic faith by his own free choice.” He also says, “The reason for the
prohibition of any compulsion or coercion is the Qur’anic verse, “There
is no compulsion in Religion” (see al-Mughni-)).

An influential scholar of the Shafi'i school, Ismail Ibn Kathir writes in his commentary on the verse 2:256,

“Do
not force anyone to become Muslim, for Islam is plain and clear, and
its proofs and evidence are plain and clear. Therefore, there is no need
to force anyone to embrace Islam. Rather, whoever Allah directs to
Islam, opens his heart for it and enlightens his mind, will embrace
Islam with certainty. Whoever Allah blinds his heart and seals his
hearing and sight, then he will not benefit from being forced to embrace
Islam.” (Ismail Ibn Kathir “Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azim” English and Arabic
versions, 2:256).

In
addition to learning that the Ayat 2:256 is not abrogated, it is also
necessary to know the occasions of Revelation [Shane Nuzul] of the Verse
2:256.

There
are three mostly narrated occasions of Revelation of this verse. But
Al-Nahhas said, “The position of Ibn Abbas regarding this verse 2:256 is
the best position because its isnad (chain of narration) is sound.”
According to this position of Ibn Abbas, as reported by Abu Dawud (may
Allah be pleased with both of them), this verse was sent down about the
Ansar. There was a woman, all of whose children had died. She made a vow
that if she had a child who lived she would become a Jew. When the
Jewish tribe ‘Banu Nadir’ were exiled from the city of Madina after they
were found plotting against the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him),
there were many of the children of the Ansar. These Muslim parents from
among the Ansar questioned whether they should force their children to
join the Muslim community. Then Allah revealed, “There is no compulsion
in Religion. Verily, the right path has become distinct from the wrong
path.” (See Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Tafsir al-Quran al-Azeem etc).

It
is reported that although the Ansar were the reason behind revealing
this verse 2:256, the application of its message is general in meaning
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir). Given the famous maxim "العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب",
meaning, “Consideration is granted to the Generality of the Language,
not to the Specificity of the Reason for Revelation”, it is proclaimed
that this verse (2:256) is general in meaning and applies to all
non-Muslims. Hence it means that none of the non-Muslims living should
be coerced to accept Islam. The rationale behind this generality is
explained this way that since the revelation has distinguished the path
of guidance from the path of misguidance, it is now up to the will of
people to choose the one or the other path and therefore accepting Islam
because of compulsion would not benefit the convert in any way.

More
significantly it is also reported that when Hadhrat Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) invited an old Christian woman to accept Islam, she
said in reply: “I am an old woman nearing death.” Hearing this, Hadhrat
Umar did not force her to come into the fold of Islam. In fact, he
recited this very verse 2:256 “There is no compulsion in Din (Religion)”
(Al-Nahhas “al-Nasikh wal Mansukh”)

Undoubtedly
the idea of compulsion to make one accept Islam is not possible at all.
This is because Islamic faith is not related to outward physical
response, but rather it relates to the heart. (See also Tafsir
al-Qurtubi)

Similar
statements regarding the non-compulsion can also be understood from the
following Quranic verses. Allah the Most High says,

“And
had Allah so willed, certainly all inhabitants on the earth would have
believed. Will you coerce the people until they become believers?”
(10:99-100)

A great Hanafi scholar Imam Nasafi says while interpreting the above mentioned verses, “لو خلق (الله تعالى) فيهم الإيمان جبرا لآمنوا لكن قد شاء أن يؤمنوا اختيارا”,
and similarly many other Muslim theologians argue that (translation)
“if Allah the Most High wanted to compel all people to believe, then He
would have done so and all the people would have believed in Him. But He
has willed instead that they come to believe in Him by their own free
choice”. (Abd Allah ibn Ahmad al-Nasafi, “Madarik al-Tanzil wa Haqaiq
Al-Tawil (the Arabic book of Tafsir)

The
same message of non-compulsion in Islam is also mentioned in these two
verses (73:19 and 76:29) in which Allah Almighty says, “This is indeed
an advice; so whoever wishes may take the path towards his Lord.”

Forced
belief is not sincere belief. As we have already seen in the above
passages that Islamic faith is not related to outward physical response,
but rather it relates to the heart. This is one of the reasons that
Allah Almighty says, “The messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the
message.” (5:99). Allah Almighty says, “If we had so willed, we could
certainly have brought every soul its true guidance” (As-Sajdah 32:13).
Since the Quran has distinguished guidance from error, as mentioned in
the verse 2:256, it is now up to the will of people whether to believe
or disbelieve. So it is for the reasons discussed above the Ayat 2:256
can’t be called ‘abrogated’.

Allah Almighty knows the best!

A
regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is
an Alim and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar) with a Sufi background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.